• The Interstate 5 Bridge Replacement Program (IBRP) is a bi-state program to enhance safety and mobility on and to the Interstate 5 corridor in the Portland-Vancouver region.
• Technical analyses and development of screening criteria to determine a preferred design option that meets the program’s federally defined purpose and need are underway.
• A preferred design option is scheduled to be developed by spring 2022.
• A Resolution stating the City of Vancouver’s desired outcomes through the IBRP has been drafted for Council’s consideration. The intent of the Resolution is to define the City’s desired outcomes as screening criteria and design options are developed.

Goal 1: Ensure our built urban environment is one of the safest, most environmentally responsible and well maintained in the Pacific Northwest.

Goal 6: Facilitate the creation of neighborhoods where residents can walk or bike to essential amenities and services "20-minute neighborhoods."

Studies to enhance safety and mobility on and to the Interstate 5 corridor in the Portland-Vancouver region through design that addresses seismic resiliency, congestion relief, and better multimodal access have been conducted over the past two decades. From 2005 to 2014, the Columbia River Crossing (CRC) program identified several alternatives for safe bicycle, pedestrian, roadway, and transit improvements. The CRC program was closed out in 2014 due to lack of funding commitments. Following close-out of the CRC, regional partners proposed revisiting improvements to address identified needs. Vancouver City Council adopted Resolution M-3975 on August 6, 2018, in support of this effort.

In 2019 a Memorandum of Intent was signed by Oregon and Washington Governors Brown and Inslee and a bi-state legislative committee was established to provide guidance and oversight on an Interstate 5 Bridge Replacement Program (IBRP). The Program, led by the Oregon and Washington state departments of transportation, is charged with developing options for improvements that account for identified safety and mobility needs plus environmental and demographic changes since the CRC program.

To date the IBRP has established advisory committees and groups comprised of legislative and elected leaders from Oregon and Washington, community members, equity-focused leaders, and planning and technical staff. These groups are currently engaged in the planning and environmental phase of the program. Options to address identified needs will be developed over the next 8-10 months, with a goal to identify a preferred alternative for improvements by spring 2022. Final design is scheduled for 2022 - 2024 with construction beginning in 2025.

Staff has presented updates periodically since 2019 to Council on progress of the IBRP. On June 21 and July 12, 2021, staff presented a list of potential desired outcomes for the City of Vancouver from the IBRP. At the June workshop staff presented a list of potential desired outcomes based on prior discussions that happened during the Columbia River Crossing program as well as subsequent City initiatives and programs aiming to enhance community assets and livability. Based on feedback from the June workshop, a draft Resolution was created for Council review and discussion at the July 12 workshop.

During the July 12 workshop Council expressed general support for the draft Resolution with some revisions. Two primary issues discussed as needing further definition in the Resolution center on tolling and the number of travel lanes to be defined in the program’s design options.

With regard to tolling, the draft Resolution presented on July 12 stated one potential desired outcome as “Incorporate a variety of transportation demand management measures, including tolling…”. During discussion, Council conveyed that transportation demand management and tolling could mean different things and asked for clarification around different types of tolling programs and the intent for tolling within the IBR program. In follow-up conversation with IBRP staff, it was verified that the intent of the IBRP is to implement tolling to pay back the cost of constructing IBRP elements. Attachment A outlines some of the tolling strategies that could be implemented for this purpose. Attachment B, an updated draft Resolution, aims to address this issue with revised text in Section 3 that notes that tolls implemented through the IBRP are intended to fund construction of the replacement bridge and associated elements.

As noted above, a second issue discussed during the July 12 workshop was the number of travel lanes to be included in a design solution. The selected alternative for the Columbia River Crossing program included three through travel lanes each direction for the full length of the Interstate 5 corridor within the program area. In portions of the corridor two additional auxiliary lanes per direction were also included. Based on traffic analyses, three through lanes each direction were required in order to provide adequate capacity and minimize congestion for projected travel demand and are reflected in current regional transportation system plans. The additional auxiliary lanes were included to meet the Program’s Purpose and Need. Auxiliary lanes provide safety and operational benefits by reducing weaving and merging movements that would otherwise happen in through travel lanes, which supports more efficient movement of people, freight, and goods.

Updated traffic, land use, and socio-demographic data will inform development of IBRP design options. That process will include modeling the number of lanes required for the roadway network to safely and adequately function. Based on this, staff recommends Council consider the following new language be added to Section 3 (“Mobility”) of the draft desired outcomes Resolution: “Include three through travel lanes per direction and auxiliary lanes as determined to be warranted for safe and adequate functioning through updated analyses.”

There were additional items raised by Council members during the workshop that have also been addressed in an updated version of the draft Resolution (Attachment B).

1. The IBRP implements goals identified in the City’s Strategic Plan, Comprehensive Plan, Transportation System Plan, and Vancouver City Center Vision.
2. A Resolution stating the City’s desired outcomes through the IBRP establishes a framework for City engagement in this project that addresses Council and community priorities and also meets the program’s Purpose and Need.
3. The last formal Council articulation regarding a program to upgrade the Interstate 5 corridor and associated elements was Resolution M-3975, which identified high level goals related to replacing the bridge and including transit in a dedicated guideway. The Resolution stating the City’s desired outcomes provides additional formal policy guidance on desired outcomes in support of City participation in the IBR program broadly, and specifically in the development of screening criteria and associated design options.